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POLITICO 44

South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley is denying an alleged affair Thursday, the second time she has had to do so in as many weeks.

South Carolina lobbyist Larry Marchant said Wednesday that he had a one-night stand with Haley during a 2008 trip to Salt Lake City for a conference on school choice.

Until Wednesday, Marchant had worked for Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer’s campaign against Haley in the Republican primary — for which he was paid more than $50,000.

In a statement, Bauer said he asked Marchant to resign once he learned of the supposed relationship.

“This is a false and outrageous desperate attack from a losing candidate's paid campaign consultant in the final week of the race,” Haley spokesman Tim Pearson told POLITICO. “As Nikki Haley rises in the polls, the good old boys in Columbia see their taxpayer-funded fraternity party coming crumbling down, and they will say or do anything to hold on to their power. This is South Carolina politics at its worst. The people of our state deserve better, and when Nikki Haley is governor, they'll get it.”

Marchant’s claim came 10 days after political blogger Will Folks claimed to have had an “inappropriate physical relationship” with Haley.

Folks has so far been unable to present proof of an affair, despite frequent promises to do so. And like Folks, who previously pleaded guilty to domestic assault, Haley’s defenders can point to Marchant’s December DUI charge in attempts to discredit his claim.

During a GOP candidate forum Wednesday night, Haley called the alleged affairs “disgusting politics,” pointing out that they only surfaced after polls showed she had taken the lead.

Marchant told South Carolina’s WCSC television station that he had “no idea” that Haley “was going to be so defiant in her response.”

“I put my professional reputation on the line, my personal reputation on the line. I've got absolutely nothing to gain,” Marchant said, though he conceded that proving the affair would be “very hard.”

Readers' Comments (126)

Sounds pretty suspicious to me. Find two losers who make unsubstantiated claims to try to throw some dirt on this woman. Either come up with evidence or shut up. This is so orchestrated it's ridiculous. Merchant "couragously" comes forward with his admission, Haley's opponent, in a show of "great integrity" asks Merchant to resign from his campaign.

Yeah right. Sounds like the OJ Simpson defense - throw enough mud and hope some of it sticks. I hope she wins.

in many ways, this accusation is more powerful than the first for several reasons:

1. most of the major news outlets are running this second affair story--from wsj, the associated press to aol. almost all of the online political magazines are talking about this today.

they are saying:

another well respected, republican "family values warrior" has claimed to hollah at madonna nikki haley.

this transcript from tpm.com is quite convincing:

marchant:

"I did not have any intention of going public," Marchant said. "I kept getting calls from different people. I just felt like I owed Andre to disclose it to him. I did not do it until two days after I disclosed it to my wife."

Marchant said part of the reason he came forward was Haley's categorical denial last week of being unfaithful to her husband.

"It just gnawed at me to the point I had to confide in my wife and then we both made a joint decision that I was not going to push the issue but that if I was confronted, I was not going to lie about it," Marchant said.

"It was not an affair. It was just one time," Marchant said. "It was one of those things that happened. ... We just had a one-night indiscretion

her accuser named the state, city, month, date, time, conference, and hotel that he claims they studied their "constitutions" together.

check out this snippett about that tryst from wyff.com in sc:

"News 4’s Nigel Robertson has confirmed through Republican Rep. Eric Bedingfield that both Haley and lobbyist Larry Marchant were at a conference [together] in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2008. Bedingfield said he knows nothing about a tryst between the two."

2. it is extremely rare to have "any" female politician caught up in affair accusations. it is even more odd to have the accusations made by partners in those affairs---twice?

twice, people.

3. when folks made his claim, most reasonable people looked at the 700 personal phone calls--especially the "wee in the morning" night calls and said this thing might be true.

the doubters said, naaaahhh, she a conservative christian woman-- a friend of sarah--it's a set-up.

now however, everyone is choking so hard on all this smoke around this story, a fire may not be necessary.

finally, it really doesn't matter if 10 men come out to claim affairs with nikki because “family values republicans” gladly accept cheating-- stealing tax payer money in florida-- gay affairs in illinois-- drinking and driving by lugar’s wife in indiana--falsely claiming your father died in wwii when he really died of natural causes in 2000 by jan brewer--they don't care.

which means, nikki will win the primary for certain and the good ole people of south carolina with nearly the highest unemployment in america, the lowest level of education, the lowest quality of healthcare, the lowest quality of life overall will elect another "family values republican" because

Can POLITICO get any more corrupt? Some guy with NO evidence comes out and claims to have had an affair with a conservative woman and POLITICO puts it on their front page with a giant picture? YELLOW JOURNALISM, thy name is POLITICO.

Looks like Nikki Haley is a cross between Bill Clinton and Tiger Woods. Smooth talking politician with a lot of game. She is a Playette. Playette Rules Never pay for Anything Don't give him what he wants NEVER fall in Love

Can POLITICO get any more corrupt? Some guy with NO evidence comes out and claims to have had an affair with a conservative woman and POLITICO puts it on their front page with a giant picture? YELLOW JOURNALISM, thy name is POLITICO.

Get a grip. Politico didn't break this story. It's being carried in all the SC newspapers. I don't know if it's true, but I do know that this is no liberal plot. It's coming from her GOP primary opponents and it's classic SC Republican politics. This is the same thing we saw George Bush throw at John McCain during the 2000 Presidential primary.

So if releasing this story is corrupt, look toward SC Republicans. Maybe you need to clean your own house before throwing stones at Politico.

which means, nikki will win the primary for certain and the good ole people of south carolina with nearly the highest unemployment in america, the lowest level of education, the lowest quality of healthcare, the lowest quality of life overall will elect another "family values republican" because

politics is just a sport for republicans.

gotta love those good ole family values republicans.So, just like a typical leftwing rumormonger, you find her guilty with only the word of two political enemies as your basis. Btw. If I were you, I wouldn't dare announce myself in SC.....you would be stomped into the low country, and deservedly so. What a typical nasty, hating fool.

In South Carolina politics, it is standard operating procedure to go after politically-involved women (and to a lesser extent, men) on their sexual proclivities, and to start, enhance, or vocally espouse rumors of their sexual activities. The truth is that, usually, it is the ACCUSERS who are banging every and any one they can coerce, and therefore think that 'everyone must be doing it'.

This is a typical ploy in backroom SC politics, and only happens when they can't refute the politician's message. They insult not only the woman, but her spouse, children, or significant other, and do it solely to imply that the female in politics is not only 'not taking care of business at home' because she is involved in politics solely to get bed partners, but that her hubby is pathetic and cuckolded. They do it to destroy the messenger as well as the message.

Moreover, Marchant is and always has been famous for his prevarication, his sly winking backroom and barroom deals. To take anything he says with more than a grain of sea salt is gross naivete. No woman with brain function who has spoken with him for more than 10 minutes would EVER take him anywhere, much less to bed. Talk about an "ICK" factor... When you walk away from him, you feel like you have to physically wipe the slime off.

To bondjedi: "one part john b with fake & bake"....she's Indian you idiot! Nothing fake about her tan. And she has been my pick from day one! She has the guts and courage to stand up to the "good ole boy" system here in SC. She's tough, HONEST and a hard worker as well as highly intelligent. I have her sign in my yard...first time I have ever had a political sign in my yard! All these unsubstantiated accusations are doing is pushing her numbers up and up and up! Go NIKKI---our next governor!